Paul Kretzmann Commentary - Isaiah 60:13 - 60:22

Online Resource Library

Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | Download

Paul Kretzmann Commentary - Isaiah 60:13 - 60:22


(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)

This Chapter Verse Commentaries:



The Happiness Attending the Glorification of the Messiah

v. 13. The glory of Lebanon,
the wonderful forest growth which adorned its mountains, shall come unto thee, men of excellence everywhere devoting themselves to the service of the Lord and His Church, the fir-tree, the pine-tree, and the box together, the cypress, ilex, and cedar, the finest trees of Lebanon's forest, to beautify the place of My Sanctuary, and I will make the place of My feet glorious, so that Zion, the city of God, the Church of Jehovah, will immediately be recognized as a dwelling of the Lord.

v. 14. The sons also of them that afflicted thee,
of the former oppressors and enemies of the Church, shall come bending unto thee, in humble submission to Jehovah; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet, in a gesture of complete surrender; and they shall call thee The City of the Lord, of Jehovah, the covenant God, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel, who is a jealous God and zealous of His own honor and of that of His Church. Thus the confession of the mouth agrees with the outward behavior and conduct.

v. 15. Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated,
Isa_54:1, so that no man went through thee, an expression increasing the picture of complete desolation, I will make thee an eternal excellency, the highest expression of unparalleled magnificence, a joy of many generations, so that many people would delight in her.

v. 16. Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles,
enjoy the gifts brought by them, and shalt suck the breast of kings, have the use of the most precious treasures of earth, and thou shalt know that I, the Lord, am thy Savior and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob, He to whose unvarying faithfulness and almighty power Zion owes all that she is and has. In this way the glorification of the Church by the Lord will cause her former enemies and oppressors to give her reverence and love.

v. 17. For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood, brass, and for stones, iron,
replacing the former inexpensive building materials with the most precious metals, with the most durable materials, so that the city would be both well protected and beautifully ornamented; I will also make thy officers peace and thine exactors righteousness, so that the government of Zion would be peace and the salvation of righteousness, security within and safety without, so that there is no further need of rulers.

v. 18. Violence shall no more be heard in thy land,
on account of the fact that the members of the Church will be united by the bands of the most cordial love, wasting nor destruction within thy borders, the enemies no longer being permitted to work their evil will without hindrance; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation and thy gates Praise, the place of walls and gates being taken by the deliverance and redemption of Jehovah and by the reputation which Zion would have throughout the world. That this has been fulfilled in the Church of the New Testament is evident frotn the fact that the enmity of the world has not only not succeeded in overcoming the Church, hut has even resulted in a condition which gives the Church a certain standing in the midst of the so-called Christian nations.

v. 19. The sun shall be no more thy light by day, neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee,
Zion no longer being in need of these external, physical light bodies; but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting Light, and thy God thy Glory, namely, in and through the Word of His grace, from which the Church derives all her light.

v. 20. Thy Sun,
the Lord Himself, shall no more go down, neither shall thy Moon withdraw itself, disappearing by setting, for the Lord shall be thine everlasting Light, in an uninterrupted continuity, Jam_1:17, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. Ceaseless happiness, endless joy and delight, is the lot of the Church under the gracious rule of the Lord. Cf Rev_7:17.

v. 21. Thy people also shall be all righteous,
as the nature of the covenant of mercy demands, by virtue of the righteousness imputed to them; they shall inherit the land forever, Mat_5:5, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, a true garden of Jehovah, owing everything to His grace, that I may be glorified, for this is the final aim and object of His expressions of mercy.

v. 22. A little one,
the smallest and most insignificant member of Zion, shall become a thousand and a small one a strong nation, equaling a great many enemies in might; I, the Lord, will hasten it in His time. When the period fixed by His eternal counsel has come, His plans go into effect with a suddenness which overwhelms all those who are not on His side, who are not upheld by His power. Therefore all believers should be careful to discern the signs of the times and know what pertains to their peace.